Let’s say you’re buying a new house. Well, new for you. You probably considered a lot of things before moving in — the property taxes, the schools in the area, how nice the bathrooms were. But did you look into what kind of you had? It may not seem too important, but knowing if your water heater is gas or electric can help you if you need to replace it down the line.
Check inside the access panel.
Remove the panel from the side of your water heater, and look to see if there is a blue flame inside. This is known as a pilot light and means you have a gas water heater. If there isn’t one, then you have an electric one.
Check for an electrical cord.
If you see a thick black or gray electrical cord on the side or top of your water heater, your unit is electric.
Check for a black pipe.
Look at the bottom of your tank and check to see if there is a thick black pipe going into it. This indicates a gas line, meaning you have a gas water heater.
Check for a copper pipe.
If there isn’t a black pipe, check for a copper one. This is also a gas line indicating the type of water heater you have.
Check for a vent pipe.
This would be on the side of your water heater and indicates your unit runs on gas, since the pipe is used to move exhaust from your unit outside.
At Air Treatment Heating & Cooling , we offer water heater maintenance, as well as installation of new units so you’re never without hot water and are always kept safe. For more information or to schedule a service please call us at (703) 270-0881.